An embodiment of courtesy, kindness

In the passing away of K Rosaiah, we have lost a veteran political leader, whose maturity and wisdom guided the destinies, not only of the people of the two Telugu speaking states, but also the whole country, over several decades.

I first came into close contact with him when I was Collector of Krishna district. He was among the close advisers of Dr Channa Reddy, the then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. He was an impressive figure of a man, tall, hefty and physically very active. The broad smile never left his face. His affectionate and friendly approach served to defuse whatever tensions arose in any situation.

He was, in particular, a skilled and consummate legislator, thorough with knowledge of the intricacies of its functioning, and able to lace his speeches, and interventions, with ready wit and, on occasion, biting sarcasm.

It is a tribute to the respect, and regard, in which he was held that barriers, social, political and economic, stood automatically dismantled in his relationships. My association with him probably went through its best phase when I was the Chief Secretary of the state and he was the Minister for Finance. Chief Secretaries, at least in those days, rarely attended meetings convened by ministers. However, in accordance with the desire of Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy, I made exceptions in the cases of Rosaiah, Finance Minister, and Jana Reddy, Home Minister. In my official interactions with him, I found Rosaiah to be very analytical in his examination of issues and receptive to new ideas and thoughts.

He was also a very smooth and diplomatic leader, and knew how to get things done by the civil servants. I remember how, on one occasion, in a matter relating to according building permission to a structure coming up in the central part of the city, I had taken a firm and negative stand. Although the matter had nothing to do with his portfolio, Rosaiah was interested, as the builder was a good friend of his. He invited me to breakfast and we had a pleasant meal, talking about many things, but not the matter which he wanted to raise with me. Much later, he called me on the phone and made the request. With genuine regret, I had to inform him that I was in no position to change my stand and relaxation of the rules, if contemplated, would have to come from the political levels above me. To his credit he took my refusal with characteristic calmness. I remember, with a sense of appreciation, if not gratitude, an occasion when, he came to my rescue in a cabinet meeting, by setting the record straight and saving me from the potential embarrassment of misleading the cabinet on a matter relating to payment of pensions. One of the Ministers tried to derail the discussion, and Rosaiah, as Finance Minister, intervened, to clarify precisely what I had intended in my presentation.

Much later, when he was the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, I called on him, on the eve of my relinquishment of office from the National Disaster Management Authority. I was interested in exploring the possibilities of assisting the state government in areas in which I thought I would be adding value to its effort such as agriculture and disaster management. As always, he was most courteous and extraordinarily warm. I cannot forget his saying, during that conversation, "wherever he is, Mohan is Mohan! ". Nothing concrete came out of that discussion, but the memory of the pleasant atmosphere in which it took place lingers.

Years later, when he was the Governor of Tamil Nadu, I approached him with a request to preside over a function in which Dr MS Swaminathan had agreed to release a book written by me on Disaster Management. Typical of him, he not only agreed, but was effusive in his praise for me when he spoke during that meeting. The fact that he was continued as the Governor of the state, despite a change in the political set-up at the national level, speaks volumes of the respect in which he was held, regardless of the party in power. On several occasions we met subsequently, during functions in Hyderabad city, many of them connected with the Delhi Telugu Academy of which I was the chairman. Unmindful of the physical discomfort which the acceptance of such invitations caused him, he would invariably oblige us and participate actively and cheerfully. He was also a deeply religious person and I remember meeting him at Samalkot in East Godavari district in connection with a religious function. He was the very embodiment of courtesy and kindness, as always.

Hard-working, sincere, and devoted to the cause of public welfare Rosaiah will be remembered fondly, and respectfully, especially for his steadfast adherence to the need for upholding values in public life.